History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 3

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791

USA > Colorado > History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV > Part 3

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The surveyor was Wm. S. Foster, who received as compensation for his services $120 in orders, payable July Ist, 1859. A number of cabins of hewn and unhewn logs arose pending the survey, one by Ross Hutchins, another by J. H. Dudley, still others by Wm. MeGaa, old John Smith, and Blake and Williams, all in a line near the east bank of the Platte and called " Indian Row," from the fact that two of the female occupants were squaws. Let it be understood in this connection that the pres- ent channel of the Platte is several blocks west of its course when these events were transpiring. On the east side of the creek it ran very near the present Union depot, back of which was a slight bluff fringed with cottonwoods, from which were ent many logs for the primitive cabins. Later builders, however, were less fortunate, some of them being forced to haul their logs from groves four to six miles distant.

There has been no end of contention among the early settlers as to who built the first house in Denver, which, after March, 1860, also embraced Auraria. The extract subjoined from the written proceedings of the town company would appear to remove all doubt, but it doesn't, as we shall see.

"At a meeting of the board of directors May 27th, 1859, the following resolu- tion was adopted :

" Resolved, That in consideration of John Rooker having built the first house in the City of Auraria, there is hereby donated to said John Rooker three shares in addition to his former share, making in all sixteen lots." This was S. M. Rooker's son who, in his after career totally ignored the seriptural injunction, "Honor thy father and thy mother," for he was a worthless little rascal.

Nevertheless, Mr. A. C. Wright, a member of the Lawrence party, the first to arrive after Green Russell's, and to whom I am indebted for much trustworthy oral and written data used in this sketch, with some other active spirits during the period under consideration who were building cabins for their own use, assert in the most positive terms that the honor justly belongs to Ross Hutchins and John Easter, his partner, whose house was completed prior to Rooker's. On the other hand, Mr. J. H. Dudley, vice-president of the company, is positive that the record given above is correct. But it doesn't matter. Most of the few pioneers who were brave enough to pass the winter of 1858-9 in the new settlement were comfortably housed before

* Among those now known to be living are F. A. Willoughby, A. C. Wright, Judson H. Dudley, Chas. M. Steinberger, James 11. Pierce, Jason T. Younker, A. II. Barker, John J. Reithman, Andrew Sagendorf, Henry Reitze, Capt. Wm. Green, Louis Hermans, Arthur E. Pierce. A. Monti, George C. Schleier, O P'. Wiggins, M. Ivory, John Scudder, Richard Blower, John D. Howland, of Denver; Ross Hutchins, Salt Lake; Wm. M. Slaughter, Loveland; John Faster, Cripple Creek; Jack Turner, Durango; T. C. Dickson, Chevenne; John D. Miller. Pueblo; George Peck. Las Animas; Geo. 1 .. Howard, Spring- field, Oregon; Henry Springer, Springer. New Mexico; Wm. H. Clark, Globeville; George A. Jackson, Ouray; Albert W. Archibald, Trinidad; J. S. Sanderson, Saguache; J D. Hoover, Clear Creek; F. M. Cobb, Pueblo; Wm. Coberly, Nebraska; D. R. Wagstaff, Longmont; A Slaine, Saguache; James Cochran, Silver Cliff: Robert Willis, Inerfano; Anthony Botts, Colorado City; John Sutton, Central City: Oscar Totten. Helena, Montana: Chas. Dohler, Salt Lake; M. A. Avery, New York. Residences unknown, James luttrell, A. A. Brookfield, Eli Dickerson

B.a. Brush

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

the end of December, but a large majority, lacking both courage and inducement, returned to the states, bearing dismal intelligence of the worthlessness of the country.

The survey and platting, though begun, was not completed by Wm. S. Foster, but by George L. Moody, who was employed by the directors, July 8th, 1859. The only plat now existent was prepared by H. M. Fosdick and Lewis N. Tappan, dated December Ist, 1859, and embraces the sites of Auraria, Denver and Highlands. A lithograph copy of this map, together with the record of the town company from which I have extracted certain notes, was discovered, and filed with the State His- torical Society, by William N. Byers in May, 1894.

The last entry in this unique minute book runs as follows, dated May 5th, 1860: "On motion of A. C. Hunt, Resolved, that block No. 108 be hereby donated to E. Karezewsky, he having built a fine bridge across the Platte river at the foot of Ferry street, and that a deed to the same be issued at the earliest conven- ience, unless the company refuse to recognise this act of the board."

April 3rd, 1860, an election was held, whereby a majority determined that Aura- ria and Denver should be consolidated under the latter name. It was ratified the same evening by the people of both towns amid great rejoicing, upon a bridge thrown across Cherry Creek at Larimer street. And thus perished Auraria, and with it subsided the long and rancorous contention between the rival settlements that frequently imperiled public safety. The town of Highlands on the north side of the Platte, was scarcely more than a mere speculative paper town until many years afterward. It is now the most populous and beautiful of our suburbs.

Blake and Williams were the first merchants of the west side, beginning toward the close of October, 1858. Mr. Williams lately died in Denver. Mr. E. A. Wil- loughby, who came with him, is still a resident. Mr. C. H. Blake, the senior partner for whom Blake street was named,-until after 1870, the business center of the city- died at his ranch near Pueblo about the 20th of September, 1804. Avery & Wil- loughby were the first building contractors, erecting, among other structures, the famous old Denver Hall. The first real estate agents were Wyatt, Whitsitt & Co., Wm. Clancy, E. P. Stout, George C. Schleier, and Chas. G. Chever. The first news- dealer, and also the founder of the first library association on Colorado soil, was Arthur E. Pierce.

The Denver Town company took formal possession November 17th, 1858, on which date the city may be said to have been founded. On the 22nd, its constitution was adopted and the following officers were elected: President, E. P. Stout ; treas- urer and donating agent, Gen. William Larimer, Jr .; secretary, H. P. A. Smith; recorder, P. T. Bassett; directors, E. P. Stout, Wm. Larimer, Jr., Wm. McGaa, Charles A. Lawrence, Hickory Rogers, Wm. Clancy and P. T. Bassett. Curtis & Lowry, surveyors, laid out the principal street, and on the 30th a contract was made with them to survey, stake and plat 320 acres of the town. At a meeting held Jan- uary 10th, 1859, by-laws were adopted. On the 22nd, it was resolved to dismiss Curtis & Lowry and invite proposals for surveying the city. On the 6th of June. 1859, the contract was awarded to E. D. Boyd. September 24th, E. P. Stout resigned the presidency, and October 4th, R. E. Whitsitt was elected in his stead. At the same time Gen. Larimer resigned as secretary and treasurer and Whitsitt was elected to those vacancies also. On the 8th, Hickory Rogers was appointed to negotiate with William N. Byers and offer him 24 lots to locate his newspaper in Denver. Amos Steck, Blake and Williams, S. S. Curtis and others came into the company in 1859. The last meeting of record was held March 11th, 1861. I am informed by Mr. J. H. Dudley that the first informal meeting of the organizers of the Denver town company was held in Win. MeGaa's cabin in Auraria, for the reason that there was no house whatever on the east side. It was a picket house chinked with mud. The earth floor was covered with buffalo robes, the walls on every side hung with the skins of various wild animals, dressed by squaws. Being a cold night, a generous wood fire

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

blazed in the ample chinmey place. E. P. Stout, J. 11. Dudley, MeGaa, R. E. Whit - sitt, Gen. Larimer, C. A. Lawrence, John S. Smith, H. P. A. Smith, Dorsett, Jewett and others were present. McGaa's hospitality as a host found expression in a camp kettle full of hot punch, brewed from Mexican whiskey, or "Taos lightning," as it was called. It is proper to draw a veil over the final deliberations of the meeting.

It would be useless to encumber these pages with a repetition of events that have been already presented in preceding volumes. Besides I have neither time nor space for a recapitulation. The remainder of this chapter will therefore be devoted to a general review of the progress made in successive stages from 1859, to the present epoch, which, with the illustrations given, will afford the reader a compre- hensive understanding of the whole.

Prior to the summer of 1860, when the immigration was very large, Auraria was larger and more substantially built than East Denver. As previously related, this tide of heterogeneous elements was impelled hither by the discovery of rich placers in the mountains. Green Russell returned from Georgia in the spring of 1859. with a strong force of men, passed up to the Gregory diggings, and beyond to the gulch which still bears his name and the traces of his work, where some important mines were found, and operated under his direction with magnificent rewards. After a year or so of extreme prosperity, both Gregory and Russell, the two great pioneers of discovery, from whose trails such mighty consequences have been wrought in the years that have elapsed since their names and deeds thrilled the continent, passed into the endless procession of border reminiscences, leaving no monument, nothing but the memory that covers a page or two of history.

To illustrate the value of realty, Mr. A. C. Wright informs me that in March. 1859, he was the owner of 124 lots in Auraria, 80 in Denver, and 136 in Highlands; also the ranch subsequently known as McNassar's, near the present Argo, which he " took up" in September, 1858. Desiring to visit Salt Lake, but having no animal for the journey, he offered all this property without reserve to a Mexican named Joe Merrival for a horse, saddle and bridle, but it was rejected with scorn. Joe felt that his horse and equipments were worth something, while the land was valueless. It is now worth millions. Mr. Wright finally sokl the ranch to a Frenchman for a horse and $25 in cash. But in May, 1859, John Gregory had solved the problem of Colo- rado's future, which instantly dispelled the winter of our discontent and made glori- ous summer for the disheartened, when Wright decided not to emigrate.

Albert D. Richardson,* who came out with the venerable and all-powerful editor of the New York "Tribune" in 1859. for the express purpose of discovering the extent and value of the golden magnet that was impelling thousands across the great American Sahara, that he might speak truthfully to the millions of readers who accepted his words as their gospel, writing of the wonderful exodus from east to west, said :- " It was an uncontrollable eruption, a great river of human life roll- ing toward the setting sun, at once a triumph and a prophecy. Denver was a most forlorn and desolate looking metropolis. There were only five women in the entire gold region. The men who gathered about our coach on its arrival were attired in slonched hats, tattered woolen shirts, buckskin pantaloons and moccasins, and had knives and revolvers suspended from their belts."

The roof of the cabin he occupied, an example of a majority, was of baked mud upon a layer of split logs and grass; the floor of hard smooth earth: no window invited adventurous burglars, and the solitary door that swung upon wooden hinges, opened to the touch of no key but a pen-knife or a string. The chief articles of diet were salt bacon, dried apples, beans and coffee; flour when to be had, fresh meat when game abounded. The social fabric was a singular medley, Americans, Mexi- cans, Indians, half-breeds, trappers, speculators, gamblers, desperadoes, broken-

* Beyond the Mississippi.

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

clown politicians, ruined bankers, real estate speculators, and now and then an hon- est man. There were very few glass windows; but two or three cabins had board floors. One lady, by sewing together gunny sacks for a carpet and covering her log walls with sheets and table cloths, gave to her mansion an appearance of almost aristocratic refinement and comfort. Stools, tables, and pole-bedsteads were the sta- ple furniture, while rough pine boxes did duty as bureaus and sideboards. The vacant places in the lower part of the embryonic city were occupied by Indian lodges, enlivened by squaws dressing the skins of wild animals, or cooking dogs for dinner : naked children playing in the sand, and braves lounging on the ground, wearing no clothing except a narrow strip of cloth about the hips. Such was the picture in 1859. It was not materially changed in the spring of 1860, except that more and better buildings had arisen and the population amazingly augmented. All roads leading to the mountains were lined with ox or mule trains with white sheeted wagons wind- ing their way slowly to the newly discovered and exceedingly prosperous gold mines.

The first meeting of officers elect under the constitution of the "People's Gov- ernment of the City of Denver," was held October 8th, 1860. Present, J. M. Broad- well, William Dunn, D. C. Oakes, Charles A. Cook, Lewis N. Tappan, members of the council; J. H. Gerrish, treasurer; A. H. Mayer, secretary; D. A. Wallingford, N. Sargent, judges of the Probate Court, and Thomas Pollock, marshal. Absent, A. C. Hunt, judge of Appellate Court, and J. M. Taylor, councilman. Mr. Dunn was called to the chair and the members were sworn in. The first ordinance, introduced and passed, was to prohibit gambling and the sale of liquors or merchandise on the streets or in tents. This government prevailed with more or less regularity and force until superseded by the charter granted the city by the first Territorial legislature in 1861.

We present a series of sketches exhibiting Denver as it appeared in 1859 and again in 1866, the first by Albert D. Richardson, and the remainder from "Pencil Sketches of Colorado" (really quite handsome colored lithographs) by A. E. Mathews. I knew both artists, the latter quite intimately.

Let us now supplement these engravings by a hasty description of East Denver as it stood in 1870, just prior to the advent of our first railway, for there were no material changes in the situation as depicted by Artist Mathews in 1866, until 1870, when a brisk revival occurred. We will then show the several stages of progression to the present beautiful metropolis.

Four pre-eminently influential waves of immigration and incidental prosperity. through strong development, mark the annals of Denver: The first from 1858, to 1861, the second in 1870-71, the third from 1878, to 1883, and the fourth beginning in September, 1885, and continuing until the close of 1890. The first epoch has been quite fully described.

The assessment roll of taxable real and personal property for the city. April Ist. 1871, showed a total valuation of $6.772,908. The levy for that year was 7 mills; the population (census of 1870), 4,759, and for the entire Territory, only 39,864, a gain of but 5,587 in ten years, and for the city proper of only ten people during the same period. It seems incredible, but that is what the official U. S. census shows. The income of the municipal government in 1871 was, from general taxation $35 .- 000; from licenses, $12,245, and from all other sources, $3,000, a total of $50,245. The expenses, including all improvements, which were few, amounted to $47,079.89. leaving a surplus of $3,165.11. For the number of wards, names of officers and councilmen, see appendix to Vol. II. The first board of supervisors was elected in April, 1885, for two years. Prior to that date the legislative department consisted of a board of aldermen, elected annually. The eastern limit of the builded city was Arapahoe street, and the western was Wazee: 17th on the northeast and 14th on the southwest. The only banks were the First National. Colorado

:25

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

National, and Warren Hussey's. In June, 1870, there were but 1, 128 buiklings of all classes in the city, mostly plain, cheap structures, frame and brick. August Ist, 1871, there were 1,964: December 31st, 2,752, of which 788 were finished in 1871. This unusual activity, remember, was due to the introduction of railways. The total cost of buildings and improvements was roughly estimated at $2,301.375. The sales by all mercantile trades, $11,597,437; value of manufactures, $1,013,000. The latter embraced wooden fabrics, wagons and carriages, foundry and blacksmithing, brick, native jewelry, flour, beer, cigars, planing mills, soap and miscellaneous, shoemak- ing, harness, saddlery, etc. The mines of Gilpin, Clear Creek and Boulder counties, the only ones in which quartz mining was carried on to any extent, were estimated to yield 150 tons of ore per day. There was but one smelting establishment in the territory,-the Boston & Colorado. at Black Hawk.

The railways in operation were, the Denver Pacific to Cheyenne, the Kansas Pacific, the Boulder Valley to the Erie coal mines, and the Denver & Rio Grande to Colorado Springs. The total freight receipts for the year were 39.384.708 pounds. Most of the coal came from the Erie mines and from the Hazelton beds at Golden. The daily receipts of this fuel aggregated about 50 tons. The amount consumed here during 1871 was 18,250 tons at an average price of $5.75 per ton for ordinary lignite, the only kind then available. Railway fares between Denver and Chicago or St. Lonis, $55; Denver to Cheyenne, Șio; to Kansas City, $44: all local fares, ten cents per mile.

A large majority of the business blocks were only two stories high. Governor Evans' building at the comer of Lawrence and Fifteenth, Charpiot's hotel, Schleier's adjoining, and the gas and water office on Larimer were, if I remember aright, the only three-story buildings. The Holly water system was begun at the foot of 15th street in July, 1870; the gas works early in 1871. For some time thereafter the price of illuminating gas was $5 per 1,000 feet.

The occupied cast and west parallels were bordered by fine cottonwoods and box elders as far down as Market street. There were fifteen school districts in the county, and about 1,200 persons of school age in the city. The amount expended for school purposes was $17,347.37: the value of all school buiklings in the county. $8,841. The Arapahoe street school-now the Metropolitan club, was commenced in 1871. The only churches were the First Presbyterian, Stuart Presbyterian, Con- gregational, Methodist Episcopal, M. E. South, Episcopal, Catholic, Unitarian, Col- ored Baptist and Colored Methodist. Such was the general condition of our little inchoate metropolis in 1870-71.

Townsite filings of Auraria, and Denver in 1858, and of the townsite of High- lands in the year 1859 .* First corporate limits of the town of Denver established by act of the legislature November 7th, 1861, including all territory formerly covered by the townsites of Auraria, Denver and Highlands. The corporate limits of Denver were re-established by an act approved March Ist, 1864, excluding a considerable part of the territory embraced in the first corporate limits, and establishing as the C'ity of Denver all of sections 33 and 34, the south half of section 28 and the s. w. 3 of section 27 in township 3, range 68 west, and the north 3 of section 4, and the n. w. 1 of section 3 in township 4, range 68 west, in all 33 sections. Of this area 13 sections known as the Congressional Grant, and described as section 33 and the west 3 of section 34 was, by Act of Congress, approved May 28th. 1864, granted " for the relief of the citizens of Denver." Within the corporate limits of the city as established by the act of 1864 was included, in addition to the territory afterward known as the Congressional Grant, that portion of the city in which are located the following sub- divisions: Hunt's, Witter's First. Smith's, Elmwood. Evans', Whitsitt's, Stiles'. Clement's, H. C. Brown's, Union, Casement's, Kasserman's, Gaston's, and Steck's additions.

* From notes furnished me by Mr. John B. Hunter, city engineer.

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

The first extension of the corporate limits was in 1868, by an act approved on the oth of January, which added an area of about 1,620 acres, in which the following sub-divisions are located: H. C. Brown's 2nd, J. W. Smith's, Porter's Park Avenue, part of Wyman's, Schinner's, San Rafael, Kountze, Barth's, Horner's, MeMann's, Downing, Ford's, Hyde Park, Provident Park, Case & Ebert's, Witter's and River- side additions, and other small sub-divisions generally known as part of East Den- ver.

The second extension of the boundaries was by the act of February 13th, 1883, and contains about 4,625 acres. This extension includes the territory south to Alameda avenue, east to York street, north to Gaston street, and west to Gallup avenue.

The third addition was under an act approved March 11th 1889, containing 2,400 acres, and extending the easterly limits of the city to the Colorado boulevard, including the City Park property.

Approximate area of Denver, including the bed of the South Platte river and Cherry Creek, 11,110 acres; miles of dedicated streets and avenues, 360; miles of alleys, 200.

In that portion of the Congressional Grant known as West Denver, the streets running n. e. and s. w., or parallel with what is now Larimer street in West Denver, were numbered from Ist street on the west boundary of the sub-division to 9th, and the streets running n. w. and s. e., or parallel to what is now 15th street in the east division of the city, were lettered from B street, near Colfax avenue to 'Z street, near the northeast boundary of the city. By an ordinance numbered 57, approved February 20th, 1873, a general change was made in street names and a house-num- bering system established in that portion.

By ordinances Nos. 50 and 67, series of 1886, a new system of house numbering was adopted and street names were changed in the residence portion to numeral aventies, to conform to the decimal system of numbering thereby established. The nantes of streets and avenues in the City of Denver, as shown on the map published by Edward Rollandet in 1885, are adopted as official, except as to certain changes provided for and described in said ordinances.

The Brown Palace hotel, a very beautiful structure, erected in 1892, stands upon a part of the land originally pre-empted by Mr. Henry C. Brown. The first house built on the eminence known as Capitol Hill, was a small frame pre-emption house, by Mr. Brown, located at the corner of 12th and Sherman avenues. In 1864, it was moved to the block on which he in later years-about 1880-erected a large and handsome mansion, afterward the property of Mrs. Augusta Tabor, and on part of which stand the Metropole hotel and the Broadway theater. The second house was that of Dr. Cunningham, on lots I and 2, block 250, in Clement's addition, near the Ebert school. Clement's addition, 160 acres, was pre-empted by Alfred H. Clements in July, 1864. The first house was a small frame shanty for pre-emption purposes, and stood on the present site of St. John's cathedral. Henry C. Brown did the work for which he was paid $100. The first brick house was that of Caleb B. Clements. built in the summer of 1865, and is still there, back of the cathedral. The fourth was a frame built in 1865, by Elias Gilbert, and still stands on Welton near 21st. The next was on the northeast corner of 16th and Lincoln avenues. The lots were pur- chased for $50 each. Col. John Wanless built under the hill on Lincoln, about 1867. The next was the Sargent house on Lincoln between 18th and 19th avenues. These were the solitary evidences of occupancy in what is now the most aristocratie quarter of the city, for many years so remote from the general business and residence sections as to be almost inaccessible to pedestrians. The country between them and Arapa- hoe street was very sparsely inhabited. Early in 1870. Judge G. G. Symes, and West- brook S. Decker purchased lots up there, the first on Lincoln and the other on Sher- man avenue and simultaneously built residences there. Judge Decker informs me

HISTORY OF COLORADO.

that his predecessors in the Capitol Ilill settlement were the Haskell frame between 16th and 17th avenues, the Byers, on Colfax and Sherman, Mr. E. B. Light, on Sher- man, and those just previously mentioned. There were no open streets or regular roadways, no transportation lines. Down town people marveled that these gentle- men should desire to isolate themselves at points so distant from Denver. That was only fourteen years ago, at the close of the second decade.

The regular and continuous statistical period of Denver's progress begins with 1884. Between 1878, and the date just cited there arose a remarkable movement which assured the future of this metropolis beyond peradventure. The growth was simply marvelous, due as everyone knows to an extraordinary influx of capital and immigration incident to the discovery and wonderful outpouring of wealth from the mines of the upper Arkansas.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of the State of Colorado, Volume IV, Part 3

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company Publication date: 1889-95 Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co. Number of Pages: 791

Author: Hall, Frank, 1836-1917. cn; Rocky Mountain Historical Company
Publication date: 1889-95
Publisher: Chicago, Blakely print. Co.
Number of Pages: 791